Electronic Ticketing of Materials for Construction Management (2020)

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1 With significant interest in electronic ticketing (e-ticketing) technologies to track material source and delivery information, this synthesis study examined the current state of practice of e-ticketing among state transportation agencies (STAs). Current e-ticketing initiatives typically involve a third-party provider connecting to the loadout system of a material producer (most often asphalt or concrete) to collect critical load information. Global Positioning System (GPS) units are also installed on mobile equipment (haulers and pavers), and a web-based interface allows for real-time tracking of deliveries and reporting of electronic load information. An electronic survey was created and distributed to members of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Committee on Construction. A total of 51 completed responses were received across 45 different STAs, corresponding to a 90% response rate. Subsequent case example interviews were con- ducted with seven states to gather additional details. Six states had completed e-ticketing projects, and one state had strong interest but was hesitant to try the technology. Although e-ticketing project experience is limited to 10 STAs, awareness and interest is widespread. Those 10 STAs generally had successful pilots with positive feedback from stakeholders (STA personnel, contractors, material suppliers, and hauling companies). Considering costs and benefits, all users believed the benefits outweighed the costs and were either “very satisfied” or “satisfied” with their experience. Further, all user states are planning additional use of e-ticketing technologies. The e-tickets were used for docu- menting the project, determining pay quantities, and occasionally tracking yield and accepting/rejecting loads. Effective strategies include finding willing partners, planning for data ownership/transfer, hands-on training for end users, and leveraging subject matter experts in experienced states. A summary table has been created in Chapter 5 to document specifics per material (Table 5.1). This table is designed to direct nonusers toward states that can provide specific guidance based on their pilots. There are some existing knowledge gaps, including an e-ticket functioning as a source document and record retention, a permissive specification for all materials and suppliers, and privacy concerns with accessing supplier loadout systems. In addition, questions on the point of material ownership and liability concerns were also brought up. For the former, does the STA have an ownership stake in the material when it is produced/ created or when it is accepted? The answer may control the timing of the agency’s access to material tracking. For the latter, what liability is created by knowing the speed, and thus driving patterns, of a traveling truck? These are questions requiring further analysis and discussion. S U M M A R Y Electronic Ticketing of Materials for Construction Management

2 Electronic Ticketing of Materials for Construction Management Current trends with e-ticketing use in STAs are to focus efforts on pulling data from the material supplier loadout systems and to disregard the GPS tracking component of e-ticketing. Other efforts include approaches to integrate e-ticketing solutions with project administration systems. These attempts are being made by both vendor-developed and in-house solutions. Chapter 1 of this report provides an introduction to e-ticketing technology and the methodology used in this study. An extensive literature review on FHWA’s Every Day Counts (EDC) initiatives and material tracking technologies is discussed in Chapter 2. Results of the national survey are presented in Chapter 3. Specific case example interviews with seven states are detailed in Chapter 4. Conclusions from the entire study are outlined in Chapter 5, followed by References and Appendices.